Transport vessels and cruise liners communicate to land based communication systems via satellite links, i.e. satellite transport channels. Satellite technologies consist of L-band satellite communication such as Inmarsat's Fleet Broad Band (“FBB”) and VSAT satellite communication utilizing either Ku-band or Ka-band frequencies.
Traditional VSAT solutions offer large data pipes, however, global coverage is not provided for either Ku-band or Ka-band frequencies. Furthermore, both band technologies are prone to outages caused by weather and/or signal blockage.
L-band solutions (FBB) provide near global coverage and are less prone to outages. However, these solutions offer a narrow band connection which provides limited data capabilities.